Drive-chain



L. W. STOOKWELL.

Drive-Chain.

No. 223,683. Patented Jan. 20 I880.

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will! MW? 2 AW/ @VLT gem 9M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- LEVI W.STOOKWELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,683, dated January20, 1880.

Application filed May 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, LEVI W. S'rooKwELL,

v of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Drive-Ohains; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification.

My inven tion relates more particularly to that kind of drive-chainswhich are composed of alternate open links and connecting-sections ordouble-hook couplers.

Previous to my invention chains of this kind have been made, some withthe links and couplers articulated in sucha manner that the partscomposing the chain were inseparable; others with the articulated partsdetachable under certain conditions, so that while the parts of thechain were not liable to casual separation they could be designedlyuncoupled for purposes well known to those skilled in the art. But inall the forms of chains of the kind first above referred to, and havingthe parts capable of detachment, as just above mentioned, it has beennecessary, I believe, to either have the ends of the links out, or tohave either the end bars or the side bars weakened by some sort ofdepression, notch, or cut-away employed to render the parts capable ofdetachment; and in all such cases, I believe, it has been necessary thatthe coupler should be composed of a sort of C-shaped device-that is, asort of double hook.

Now, in all such detachable chains as heretofore constructed both thecutting or reduction in size of any part of the link, to adaptit to bedetached from the coupler, and the open hoolrform of the coupler deviceare objectionable features, the first because of the tendency to weakenthe link, the second because of the necessity, in such form of coupler,of mak ing the back or body of the coupler very thick andheavy, to getsufficient strength of stock, and in all such chains there is, besides,a liability of accidental detachment of the parts.

To overcome these objections, and at the same time provide for use adetachable drivechain of efficiency, are the main objects of myinvention, which, to these ends, consists in a chain composed ofalternate links and duplex coupler-hooks, the said duplex coupler-hooksbeing so made and adapted to slide one within the other, as will bepresently fully described, that, while they efi'ect the retentiontogether of the parts of the chain, they must be purposely separated topermit a detachment of the parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed. 7 p

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to fully explain the construction and operation of a chain madein accordance therewith, referring, by letters, to the accompanyingdrawings, in Which Figure 1 is an elevation or face view of a chainembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is apartial longitudinal section at the line :10 m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is anedge view of two links and a coupler, illustrating the position of theparts necessary for the separation of the parts composing the duplexcoupler-hook. Fig. 5 is a side or face view of the parts seen at Fig. 4,

with the coupler-hooks partially separated; and Fig. 6, detail view,showing the parts of the coupler separated.

In the several figures the same parts will be found designated by thesame letter of reference. v

A B G are the links of the chain, which are represented as being made,by preference, about rectangular in contour, and with their end and sidebars about cylindrical in form. These links are connected together orcoupled to form the chain by what I have called a duplex coupler-hook,which is composed, as shown, of two C-shaped open or double hook pieces,D E, adapted to slide and fit one within the other, and one or both ofwhich has its side opening large enough to permit the passage through itat the same time of the side bars of two of the links-that is to say,either or both of the hooks D and E must have the side opening oropenings large enough to permit the separation of these parts in themanner illustrated at Figs. 4 and 5, the side bars of the two links,placed face to face, having, as illustrated, both to pass through theopening in hook E.

If it should be deemed expedient to have the separation of the parts Dand E effected v IOO 4; then slide the parts I) and E away from or outof association with each other, as indicated at Fig. 6, one of theseparts, D, maintaining its relation to the links A B until the removal ofpart E, when, either separately or both at once, according to the sizeof the side opening in part 1), the said links and part D of the duplexcoupler may be separated.

To unite or recouple two links and their connecting devices, the reverseof the opera-- tions just explained is, of course, performed.

In the use of my improved chain, while the articulated parts have thesame freedom of action, said parts are not liable to any disunion exceptby design; for, in order to uncouple them, they must not only be broughtinto the precise relative position of coupler and two links shown atFig. 5, but also must then be mani iiulated in the precise mannerdescribed and shown at Fig. 6; and it will be observed that in a chainmade as shown and described all the bars of all the links are uniform insize and strength; and that, by reason of the coupler being made of twoC-shaped parts, D and E, the backer body portion of each closing up theopening of the other, not only are the confined or coupled end bars ofthe links entirely surrounded or bound round by the coupler, but thesetwo parts or devices I) and E act as re-enforces to each other, so that,in their aggregate condition, they may be made to constitute a couplerequally as strong as a single open or C-shaped device, with less weightof stock and of a more desirable shape.

Of course, in practicing my invention, modifications in the sizes,proportions, and details of structure of the parts may be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the said invention; and I wish to beunderstood as not limiting the scope of my invention to any suchparticularities, so long as a chain is made embodying the gist of myinvention, which may be said to rest in the idea of a chain in which theunion of a series of plain open links is effected by means of duplexcouplers, substantially such, in principle of construction. andoperation, as the coupler I have shown and described.

What. I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. A coupler for drive-chains composed of two Cshaped pieces adapted toengage the links of a chain by sliding one part of the coupler over theother in substantially the manner and for the purposes described.

2. A drive chain composed of alternate plain open links and duplexcoupler devices, one adapted to slide over the other, the said links andduplex couplers being combined and operating together, substantially asset forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

1. H. PRATT, W. H. HAWKINS.

